


Orange Mentats

by mysafeplaceishere



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Blood, F/M, Gore, Implied Sexual Content, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-18 21:57:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20320144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysafeplaceishere/pseuds/mysafeplaceishere
Summary: It all started with orange mentats and a night you could never forget.





	Orange Mentats

The day had been dreary since the early rise of the sun. Not the kind of radiation storm that had everyone hustling into buildings for shelter, though. More of a light drizzle from the cloudy sky that you couldn’t help but stand in with eyes closed and a smile pulling at your mouth.

Some people don’t find the rain as enjoyable as you. While you could soak your clothes to where they stick to your skin and still be happy, others would prefer to stay dry and warm. It’s more practical in trying to survive, you get that, but sometimes it feels better to not care for awhile.

Today, on another hand, couldn’t be enjoyed. Not after the morning, anyway.

You watch as lightening flashes across the sky and sink further into your coat, a weary smile curling at your lips. There is no denying that the storm is quite beautiful but you would hate to be stuck out there with the risk of getting struck by the lightening outside your door.

You’re more than thankful to have found a place to settle down during these times. It wasn’t much at first, seeing as there was nothing but a bunch of abandoned vehicles and multiple molerats scurrying about. Most people would have passed up a place like yours, but you found a home in all the wreckage. And yeah, surviving the raids and attacks when you first started to build the place up was difficult, but you don’t regret fighting for it.

Now Starlight-Drive-In is a place for people to camp for a night, to heal their wounds, and fill their bullies another day. Very rarely do you have to turn people away, such as Raiders or Gunners that threaten to kill you and take the place over, but by now? That’s an everyday sort of thing. It doesn’t bother you anymore.

You head up the stairs to your ‘room’, if you could call it that, and settle down into your bed with a flinch when thunder rolls dangerously close. You mumble a few profanities under your breath at the scare and roll over to your side, ready to rest for the night. Just as your eyes close and your body relaxes, a faint shouting outside catches your attention.

You sit up, hand lingering over your pistol set aside on your bedside table. Waiting for another shout causes your heart to beat against your ribs in an uncomfortable manner, but nothing else happens so you relax back into your bed with a huff.

The next shout is closer. You’re immediately on your feet, pistol held between your fingers and narrowed eyes peering outside of your window. A few yards away is two people hanging onto the fence you had put around the perimeter. One of them is wearing a vault suit, the blue and yellow colors standing out in the darkness of the night. Beside them is someone wearing a red coat.

“A vault dweller?” You murmur to yourself in astonishment.

You bound down the stairs and through the front door to meet them at the fence. While you think they mean no harm, you hold up your pistol just in case. Anything can happen in the Commonwealth.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

The two visibility perk at the sound of your voice drifting in with the heavy rain. They lift their heads to reveal a woman with soggy brown curls and a ghoul. You blink away the rain water getting into your eyes and purse your lips into a thin line, trying to hide your amusement at the two. It’s not every day a vault dweller and a ghoul come through these parts. Especially on nights like this.

“We heard from some other settlers that this is a good place to stay for a night,” the woman answers with a smile, as if she wasn’t standing out in the open at all.

“Only if you promise not to shoot me,” you warn with your own twitching smile.

“You have our word, beautiful,” the ghoul chimes in with a wink.

You let out a small humph at his flirtatious remark and let them through the gate. They glance around the area, taking in the sights before you motion them over to your own private house which so happens to be the Starlight-Drive-In’s tiny building used for snacks and beverages back in the day.

“You have a nice place here,” the woman leans against the door with a sigh, “you have a name?”

You rummage for a few towels for them to dry off with, a smirk on your mouth. “The name’s (Y/n). You two got names?”

The woman takes the towels from your hands with an award winning smile. She hands one over to her partner and he takes it with a tip of his tricorn hat, both at her and at you in thanks for something to dry himself off with.

“My name is Nora. Although people like to call me Sole in most cases. My friend here is Hancock.”

You lift yourself up onto the counter and lean forward to study the ghoul before you with a growing grin. The woman proceeds to dry her hair with the towel you had so graciously gave her, and the ghoul does nothing but grin back at you. His black eyes search you over from head to toe and you tilt your head when his gaze rises back up to meet yours.

“Like what you see?” He asks with a smug undertone, “because I _know _I do.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you do,” you counter back with a chuckle.

Nora eyes Hancock for a good while before backhanding him in the face. You reel back with wide eyes when hearing the obnoxious pop of her hand meeting his cheek. It doesn’t take long and you can’t contain your laughter.

“She should have left you out in the rain, John.”

“It’s a bit cramped upstairs but you’re more than welcome to have my bed,” you say through giggles, trying to hide your smile behind your hand.

Hancock grumbles when Nora turns back to like nothing had ever happened, her clasped at her chest. You make eye contact with your new ghoul friend for a second time and he shoots you an unwavering smirk.

“I couldn’t take your bed—“ she starts, only to have you cut her off with a tsk.

“You’re a vault dweller, right? Kinda obvious from the suit you’re wearing,” you point to her attire, “and you vault dwellers are extremely nice. So just take the bed and don’t make me argue with you, okay?”

The two of you bicker back and forth a few more minutes before she gives up and heads up the stairs with Hancock on her heels. You exhale, hands clenching the edge of the counter and listening to your new guests whisper upstairs.

Nora is very kind. An unusual sort of kind that would have other people suspicious, but luckily for you, judging peoples’ character has always been a gift. She seems genuinely down to earth but the sadness in her eyes only leaves you with more questions than answers. Everyone has their own tragic backstory, but her sadness is more than what you think it to be. Because mixed in with that sadness is a whole lot of anger that burns brighter than hellfire. 

And her ghoul companion? You don’t get any kind of uncomfortable vibes from him but then again, he hasn’t said all too much except the slight flirting. The chems hanging out of his coat pockets worry you only a tiny bit, but he otherwise seems fine. Nora seems like the type to choose her friends wisely, and if she chose to travel with this John Hancock, then you trust him.

You hop down from the counter, throwing back one last glance at the stairs before heading outside to the wooden house you had built a month or two ago. You stop midway to your destination, craning your neck back to look up at the sky with a monotone expression.

The raining stopped.

There is no possible way you could sleep after all the excitement. You take a glance around the drive in and put your pistol away by the loop of your belt. There’s always another house that could be built, or maybe you could fool with the crops for a bit. You could try to fix that one generator that keeps shutting down for no reason.

“Nah,” you wave your hand to no one in particular.

Work is just too much at this hour of the night, but you can’t sleep, either. You eventually sit down on top of one of the rusted cars that had yet been cleared out of the area. Some orange mentats wouldn’t hurt before trying to get some shut eye for the night. You may not be a big chem user but something about mentats make you feel better when everything is looking down.

“I didn’t take you for a mentat kinda girl.”

You glance over to find Hancock walking your way, hands stuffed in his coat pockets and expression laid back. A long silence hangs over the air before you scoot to the side and hold out your box of orange flavored mentats with a crooked smile. Your offer is graciously accepted and you find yourself sharing the company of a ghoul dressed better than anyone you have ever met.

“I don’t see many ghouls around here,” you finally cut through the silence.

“Oh? Then why didn’t you scream?” He leans back on his palms, shooting you a curious stare.

You think his question over, fingers dug deep within your mentat box and eyes cast to the stary sky. “I often frequent Goodneighbor for supplies. My good friend Daisy just so happens to be a ghoul.”

“Why not just go to Diamond City? It’s closer and there’s no ghouls to deal with.”

You freeze when hearing the bitterness to his tone. Before you can even think about it, you lay a hand on his shoulder and give a soft squeeze in reassurance. You can feel how tense he is beneath your timid grip and it makes you frown. 

“Diamond City is made up of a bunch of people who think they are better than everyone else. I can’t—I can’t be around people like that. Being nice in the Commonwealth is just asking to get shot in the back, but, you know, I’d rather die a good person than live being a ghoul hating, greedy, selfish monster.”

Hancock takes a few silent seconds to take in your words. You release your grip on his shoulder and let your hands fall to your lap, a soft smile curling at your lips.

“If I hated ghouls, I would have missed out on your beautiful personality,” you nudge his shoulder with a lifted brow.

He sends you a playful glare, nudging you back in the side. “You sure do know how to make a ghoul feel loved.”

You cross your legs and let your elbows rest on your knees, hands cupped around your face and eyes looking Hancock over with a soft expression. He seemed very self centered at first but he isn’t half bad when sitting down and talking like normal people.

“I do have the record _for nicest person _in the Commonwealth.”

All he does is cock his head to the side, leaning in close with a cocky smirk. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

•••

They left late that morning.

Nora made no attempt to leave without giving you a thankful hug before setting on her way. Her embrace was tight and made you feel so warm and safe. You declined the caps she offered in return for letting her stay, but did let her know that your door was open at any time.

For both Nora and Hancock. 

You didn’t expect anything from Hancock, seeing as he was just Nora’s companion through her travels, but you couldn’t contain the smile that lit up your face when he snuck you a box of orange flavored mentats from the safety of his red coat. The last thing you saw of him was his wickedly charming smile when he threw his head back after heading through the gates.

You sigh, leaning yourself against the wall and run a hand through your hair to ease the ache beneath your skull. Last night was very much sleepless, but for all the right reasons. Who knew you were into ghouls in that way.

You open the new box of mentats and find a torn note sitting atop the chems. You finger the ripped edges before lifting the note to your eyes.

_If you ever need help or some company, come to Goodneighbor. -Mayor Hancock _

You immediately pale at seeing his chicken scratch signature at the bottom. You bury your bottom lip under your teeth, cheeks blooming bright red and fingers beginning to tremble. The images from last night come rushing back in a whole new light, causing you to feel lightheaded and nauseous.

Oh, geez. Screw everything you have ever done to make a good reputation. It doesn’t matter now. None of it matters now.

You _slept _with the mayor of Goodneighbor.


End file.
